Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs
| Company type | Rock band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1963 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Music albums, singles, live performances |
Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs emerged as a rock ensemble from Sydney, New South Wales, in 1963. Their career unfolded in two distinct stages: initially as a beat group from 1963 to 1967, then transitioning into a hard rock outfit between 1968 and 1973. Their 1964 rendition of "Poison Ivy" famously blocked the Beatles from securing the top spot on Sydney's charts during the band's Australian visit. Following the departure of original members due to financial disagreements in 1965, Thorpe briefly embarked on a solo venture before reviving the Aztecs in 1968 with a heavier rock approach inspired by guitarist Lobby Loyde. By the early 1970s, they had established themselves among Australia's premier hard rock groups, delivering hits such as "Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)" and performing at the Sunbury Pop Festival, prior to disbanding in 1973. Thorpe passed away from a heart attack in Sydney on 28 February 2007.
1963–1968: Formation and Early Years
The band originally formed as a four-member instrumental act named the Vibratones, releasing the surf instrumental single "Expressway" backed with "Man of Mystery" in Sydney during 1963. Shifting towards the Merseybeat sound, they incorporated lead vocalist Billy Thorpe, whose commanding voice and dynamic stage presence quickly elevated him to prominence within Australian rock circles. The initial lineup featured drummer Col Baigent, bassist John "Bluey" Watson, and guitarists Brian Bakewell alongside Vince Maloney (later known as Vince Melouney of the Bee Gees). Shortly after Thorpe joined, Bakewell departed and Tony Barber stepped in as his replacement.
Their breakthrough occurred in mid-1964 with a cover of the Leiber and Stoller classic "Poison Ivy", which notably prevented the Beatles from attaining number one on Sydney's charts during their sole Australian tour—a success that led to Thorpe meeting the Beatles at their hotel. Over the following year, they dominated Australia's beat music scene with tracks like "Mashed Potato," "Sick and Tired," and "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," until being surpassed by the Easybeats in 1965. Their achievements helped establish their record label, Albert Productions, distributed through EMI and Parlophone, as a significant force within Australia's burgeoning pop industry.
In 1965, after original members exited following a financial dispute, Thorpe assembled a new five-piece formation consisting of drummer Johnny Dick, pianist Jimmy Taylor, guitarists Colin Risbey and Mike Downes, along with New Zealand-born bassist Teddy Toi. This lineup remained active until 1966 and produced hits including "Twilight Time," "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "Baby, Hold Me Close," "Love Letters," and "Word For Today."
Thorpe pursued solo endeavors in 1967 and briefly hosted the television program It's All Happening, but personal challenges and bankruptcy curtailed this period by 1968.
1969–1970: Evolution of Sound and Personnel
In 1969, Thorpe sought a recording contract in England with impresario Robert Stigwood, who managed acts like The Bee Gees and Cream. While assembling a backing band in Melbourne, the guitarist withdrew unexpectedly, prompting Thorpe to assume both lead guitar and vocal duties. What was intended as a six-week stay extended into several months, leading Thorpe to remain in Australia and relaunch his career domestically.
Thorpe attributes much of the Aztecs’ shift toward a ‘heavy’ sound to 'guitar virtuoso' Lobby Loyde, renowned for his work with The Purple Hearts and Wild Cherries. Although Loyde’s tenure with the Aztecs was brief (1968–1971), his impact was pivotal in guiding Thorpe toward a blues-infused heavy rock style. The reformed Aztecs gained notoriety for their loud live shows, while Thorpe’s altered appearance—featuring a beard, braided hair, and casual clothing—alienated some longtime followers.
Their seminal album The Hoax Is Over released in September 1970 exemplified this new musical direction. Featuring drummer Kevin Murphy, the record contained four tracks dominated by two lengthy compositions: an extended 24-minute rendition of Johnny "Guitar" Watson’s "Gangster of Love" alongside Thorpe’s nearly 20-minute original "Mississippi." The lineup—comprising Thorpe, Murphy, pianist Warren Morgan, Loyde, and bassist Paul Wheeler—recorded the album during an LSD-fueled jam session that produced a landmark work cementing their reputation within Melbourne’s live music circuit.
1971–1973: "Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)", Sunbury and dissolution
By 1971, the Aztecs had firmly established themselves within Melbourne’s music scene through their dynamic power-blues sound. On 13 June 1971, now a quartet following Loyde's exit (consisting of Thorpe, Morgan, Wheeler, and drummer Gil "Rathead" Matthews), they headlined a sold-out event at Melbourne Town Hall, attracting an audience of 5,000. This concert was captured on the album Live at Melbourne Town Hall, renowned for its exceptionally loud performance that reportedly shattered nearby windows.
That same year, the band issued "The Dawn Song," which achieved moderate chart success and demonstrated their musical versatility. Early in 1972, they released what became their most successful single and Thorpe’s hallmark track, "Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)," which climbed to number 3 on the Go-Set National Top 40 Singles Chart. The track’s popularity was further amplified by their headline appearance at the 1972 Sunbury Pop Festival, an iconic event featuring an all-Australian lineup that Thorpe considered instrumental in shaping the nation’s music scene.
In 2008, "Most People I Know" was honored by being inducted into the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry.
The 1972 Sunbury festival, often referred to as "Australia's Woodstock," took place over the Australia Day weekend near Sunbury, Victoria. The Aztecs performed alongside leading Australian acts such as Spectrum/Murtceps and Max Merritt & the Meteors. Their performance was included on the double-album Sunbury and later fully released as Aztecs Live at Sunbury, which has since become a sought-after collector’s item.
Capitalizing on this momentum, they released "Believe It Just Like Me," a critique of Australian radio's preference for international music; however, it failed to replicate their earlier hit’s success.
The band returned to Sunbury in 1973 with another strong showing, issuing Summer Jam from that year's festival. They also achieved a milestone by selling out Melbourne’s Myer Music Bowl, attracting a record-breaking crowd of 200,000—the largest audience for an Australian act at the venue.
In 1973, Thorpe collaborated with Warren "Pig" Morgan on their duo album Thumpin' Pig and Puffin' Billy. Together they co-wrote and produced "Looking Through a Window" for soul-blues vocalist Wendy Saddington, with backing provided by the Aztecs.
August 1973 saw Thorpe transition from independent Havoc Records to Atlantic Records, releasing solo singles including "Movie Queen" and "Don't You Know You're Changing?", which featured contributions from most of the Aztecs members.
Toward the end of that year, the Aztecs performed their farewell show at the newly inaugurated Sydney Opera House, marking them as the first rock group to play at the venue. This concert was recorded and issued as a double album titled Steaming at the Opera House, comprising acoustic sets alongside an all-star jam session that reunited former band members.
Before officially disbanding, they put out one last Atlantic album entitled More Arse Than Class. Subsequently, Thorpe embarked on a solo career in Australia before relocating to the United States, where he engaged in business ventures including a prosperous toy enterprise with ex-bandmate Tony Barber.
After The Aztecs
Returning to Australia in the late 1990s, Billy Thorpe was acknowledged as a venerable figure within Australian music. His contributions were formally recognized with induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame in 1991.
In 1998, Australia Post released a special edition collection of twelve stamps commemorating early Australian Rock 'n' Roll hits spanning from the late 1950s through to the early 1970s. Among these was a stamp featuring "Most People I Know," underscoring Thorpe's enduring cultural significance.
Thorpe played a key role in spearheading the acclaimed TV and live concert series It's A Long Way to the Top in 2002, which celebrated four decades of Australian rock music and reunited two incarnations of The Aztecs for live performances.
At the time of his passing, Thorpe was working on his album Tangier, recording sessions taking place in Marrakech. His final live appearance occurred at Westernport Hotel in San Remo, Victoria on 25 February 2007. He died from a heart attack on 28 February 2007 at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney.
Gil Matthews currently oversees Aztec Music, a reissue label whose inaugural release was Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs’ Live at Sunbury.
Studio albums
| Album Title | Release Information | Highest Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Poison Ivy (collaboration with Johnny Noble) |
|
— |
| Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs |
|
— |
| Don't You Dig This Kind of Beat |
|
— |
| The Hoax Is Over |
|
8 |
| More Arse Than Class |
|
14 |
| Pick Me Up and Play Me Loud |
|
— |
Live albums
| Album Title | Release Details | Highest Chart Positions | Certification Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| Live |
|
8 | |
| Aztecs Live at Sunbury |
|
4 |
|
| Steaming At The Opera House |
|
71 | |
| Long Live Rock and Roll (Long May It Move Me So) |
|
— |
Compilation albums
| Compilation Title | Release Information | Peak Chart Rankings |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| The Best of Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs |
|
— |
| Great Hits |
|
— |
| Gold |
|
89 |
| It's All Happening: 20 Greatest Hits 64–68 |
|
— |
| Lock Up Your Mothers |
|
15 |
| The Best and the Rest of Lock Up Your Mothers |
|
79 |
| The Classic Rock Collection |
|
— |
Video Albums
| Title | Release Information | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Jailhouse Rock |
|
|
| Live – Boggo Road Jail Australia 1993 |
|
Extended Plays
| Title | Release Details |
|---|---|
| Poison Ivy |
|
| Sick & Tired |
|
| On Stage |
|
| I Told the Brook |
|
| Stand By Me |
|
| Twilight Time |
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Chart Ranking | Associated EP/Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| 1964 | "Smoke and Stack"/"Board Boogie" | – | |
| "Blue Day"/"You Don't Love Me" | 51 | Poison Ivy | |
| "Poison Ivy"/"Broken Things" | 3 | ||
| "Don't Cha Know"/"Mashed Potato" | 9 | Sick & Tired | |
| "Sick and Tired"/"About Love" | 11 | ||
| "That I Love"/"Over the Rainbow" | 2 | I Told the Brook | |
| 1965 | "I Told the Brook"/"Funny Face" | 1 | |
| "Twilight Time"/"My Girl Josephine" | 2 | Twilight Time | |
| "Hallelujah I Love Her So"/"Baby, Hold Me Close" | 16 | ||
| "Love Letters"/"Dancing in the Street" | 3 | Don't You Dig This Kind of Beat | |
| 1966 | "The Word for Today"/"The New Breed" | 23 | Non-album single |
| "I've Been Wrong Before"/"Wee Bit More of Your Lovin'" | 57 | ||
| 1967 | "Dream Baby"/"You Don't Live Twice" | 55 | |
| 1970 | "Good Morning Little School Girl"/ "Rock Me Baby" | – | Great Hits |
| 1971 | "The Dawn Song"/ "Time to Live" | 41 | Non-album single |
| 1972 | "Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)"/ "Regulation Three Puff" | 2 | |
| "Believe It Just Like Me"/ "Get to Hell Out of Here" | 25 | ||
| 1973 | "Movie Queen"/ "Mame" | 32 | Gold |
| "Don't You Know You're Changing?"/ "Yes I'm Tired" | – | ||
| 1974 | "Over the Rainbow"/ "Let's Have a Party" | 20 | |
| "Cigarettes and Whiskey (Live)"/ "Back Home in Australia (Live)" | – | Steaming At The Opera House | |
| 1975 | "It's Almost Summer" | 44 | |
| 1979 | "Wrapped in the Chains of Your Love" | 88 |
Go-Set Pop Poll
The annual Go-Set Pop Poll, organized by the youth-oriented publication Go-Set from 1966 through 1972, ranked prominent figures in popular music based on votes submitted by readers.
|- | 1971 | The Hoax Is Over | Best Album | 4th place |- | rowspan="3"| 1972 | Aztecs Live at Sunbury | Best Album | style="background:gold;"| 1st place |- | "Most People I Know" | Best Single | style="background:tan;"| 3rd place |- | Billy Thorpe & the Aztecs | Best Group | style="background:silver;"| 2nd place |-
King of Pop Awards
Voted on by readers of TV Week between 1967 and 1978, the King of Pop Awards celebrated outstanding Australian musical artists.
|- | 1972 | Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs | Best Group | |-
Bibliography
- Australian Encyclopedia of Rock & Pop – Noel McGrath – 1978
- An Australian Rock Discography – Chris Spencer – 1990 – Moonlight Publishing
- The Who's Who of Australian Rock – Chris Spencer – Moonlight Publishing
- The Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop – Ian McFarlane – Allen & Unwin, Sydney – 1999
External links
- Long Way to the Top: Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs – Stories and Highlights, Australian Broadcasting Corporation
- In Memory of Billy Thorpe
- Listen to a segment of 'Most People I Know (Think that I'm Crazy)' and explore further on australianscreen online
- Australian Music Database: https://www.australianmusicdatabase.com/bands/billy-thorpe-and-the-aztecs